GOVERNMENT plans to privatise the Forensic Science Service could seriously jeopardise future police investigations, it was claimed yesterday.

GOVERNMENT plans to privatise the Forensic Science Service could seriously jeopardise future police investigations, it was claimed yesterday.

Now a major public campaign is to be launched to persuade Home Secretary David Blunkett that the proposal represents a privatisation too far.

Among the unsung locations where high-profile murder inquiries have largely been solved, as well as thousands of more run-of-the-mill crimes, is the Forensic Science Laboratory in Chepstow, which since 1979 has served three of Wales's four police forces as well as several in the west of England.

Around 150 scientists and 70 ancillary staff work at Chepstow, most of whom fear their ability to do their job will be compromised if the privatisation goes ahead.

One told The Western Mail, "We are very worried that our reputation for impartiality will go if we are taken over by a private company and our new bosses have to make shareholders' interests their top priority.

"One of the advantages of our current status is that we retain the support of the public, who accept that we act impartially. We are just as interested in establishing someone's innocence as their guilt, if that is where the truth lies.

"There is also a fear that more abstruse aspects of our work, which can be very meticulous and time-consuming, will simply be discontinued because it is not regarded as profitable. We have scientists who specialise in areas of expertise that are never going to provide a financial return.

"We feel very strongly that this service, which has provided crucial support for many years, should remain in the public sector."

Today representatives of the Prospect trade union, which represents most of the scientists, will meet government officials involved in drafting legislation to enable the privatisation to proceed.

Prospect negotiator Mike Sparham said, "David Blunkett announced these plans on the day before the summer recess and it has taken some time for the implications to become clear.

"The Home Office has told us that so far around 90 MPs have written expressing concern. One of the problems we have in campaigning against this is that it doesn't appear to require primary legislation.

"It seems that setting up a publicly owned company for subsequent privatisation can be done with secondary powers. In these circumstances we need to persuade the Home Office that it is not in the interests of crime detection.

"The Police Federation is opposed to the proposals, although the Association of Chief Police Officers takes the view that it would be inappropriate for them to engage in a political debate.

"We are putting together an alternative strategy document which we will be submitting to the Government."

The main justification for the privatisation option put forward by a Government review team is that it would enable the &#xA3;20m-&#xA3;30m needed to modernise facilities at the seven FSS laboratories to be raised from the money markets rather than public sector funds.

But Prospect says that flies in the face of a recent Treasury report, which found that the cost of raising capital is higher for a private sector owner than the Government. Consequently privatisation is bound to put up costs to users, say unions.

If the plans go ahead, Britain would become the only country in the world with a privatised forensic science service.